Description
This Chai Spice Vegan Pear Pie combines a flaky, tender vegan crust with a warmly spiced pear filling. Infused with classic chai spices like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves, this comforting pie is perfect for a cozy dessert that’s entirely plant-based and naturally sweetened with maple syrup and cane sugar.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup vegan butter (cold)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup ice water
For the Filling
- 5 pears (chopped)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/4 cup cane sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp all spice
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp cardamom
Instructions
- Make the Crust: Start by dividing the crust ingredients into two batches. For the first batch, add 1.5 cups flour and 1/2 tsp salt to a food processor. With the motor running, add 1/2 cup vegan butter, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 2 tbsp almond milk, and 4 tbsp ice water through the top. Pulse until the dough forms a ball. Remove and set aside.
- Repeat Crust Mixture: Repeat the same process with the remaining 1.5 cups flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup vegan butter, 2 tbsp syrup, 2 tbsp almond milk, and 4 tbsp ice water to form the second dough ball.
- Chill Dough: Divide the dough into two balls, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Preheat Oven: After chilling, preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C) to prepare for baking the pie.
- Prepare Filling: Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped pears and sprinkle with cane sugar and all the spices: cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom. Sauté for 5-8 minutes until the pears soften but remain intact. Remove from heat.
- Roll Out Bottom Crust: Flour your work surface and roll out the larger dough ball. Carefully transfer it into a greased pie pan, pressing it into place. Crimp the edges to form a decorative border.
- Add Filling: Pour the spiced pear filling evenly into the pie crust, spreading it out to fill the edges.
- Roll Out Top Crust: Roll out the smaller dough ball for the top crust. Cover the filling with this crust, then brush it with melted vegan butter or coconut oil and sprinkle with a little cane sugar for a caramelized finish.
- Bake: Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for 40 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the pie from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack. Allow it to cool for 1 hour until slightly warm or at room temperature before slicing. Serve with vanilla vegan ice cream for a delicious treat.
Notes
- Use firm pears that hold their shape well when cooked, such as Bosc or Anjou.
- Make sure the vegan butter is cold to achieve a flaky crust.
- Chilling the dough helps prevent shrinkage during baking.
- You can substitute almond milk with any other plant-based milk.
- For extra flavor, try adding a splash of vanilla extract to the filling.
- Store leftover pie covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan, American
Keywords: chai spice, vegan pear pie, vegan dessert, dairy-free pie, spiced pear pie, plant-based dessert, fall dessert
